French Football Federation
Encyclopedia
The French Football Federation (FFF) is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories
(Guadeloupe
, French Guyana, Martinique
, Mayotte
, New Caledonia
, French Polynesia
, and Réunion
). It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital
Paris. The FFF was a founding member of FIFA
and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in France, both professional and amateur. The French Football Federation is a founder member of UEFA
and joined FIFA in 1907 after replacing the USFSA
, who were founding members. On 28 June 2010, the federation's current president, Jean-Pierre Escalettes
, announced his resignation from his position effective 23 July. On 23 July, Fernand Duchaussoy was installed as the federation's interim president and, on 18 December, the title was removed making him the federation's 11th president in its history. On 18 June 2011, following as election, Nöel Le Graët was named as the federation's 12th president.
The FFF sanctions all competitive football matches in France, either directly, beginning with the Championnat National
on down, or indirectly through the Ligue de Football Professionnel
, who manage Ligue 1
and Ligue 2
, the first and second divisions of France, respectively, as well as the Coupe de la Ligue
. The LFP, however, still operate under the authority of the federation. The federation is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's
, women's
and youth
national football teams. In 2010, the FFF had 2,107,924 licenses, with over 1,800,000 registered players and 18,000 registered clubs. The federation unveiled its new crest (above right) in 2007.
(USFSA) due to the organization's constantly disagreeing with each other, mainly due to the latter's opposition of professionalism in sport. Following the debacle at the 1908 Summer Olympics, in which France sent two teams, one controlled by the USFSA and another by FIFA, the CFI ruled that FIFA would now be responsible for the club's appearances in forthcoming Olympic Games
and not the USFSA. Being a founding member of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC), the USFSA disagreed with the ruling and, despite having three years to reach an agreement, the CFI and the USFSA failed to, which led to France not sending a football team to the 1912 Summer Olympics
. The USFSA later developed friction with FIFA and the IOC, which led to disorganization and in 1913, became semi-affiliated with the CFI.
On 7 April 1919, the CFI transformed themselves into the Fédération Française de Football with Jules Rimet
being installed as the federation's first president. Its legal status is placed under the French Association loi de 1901 jurisdiction (Voluntary association
). The FFF has been affiliated to FIFA since 1907, when the CFI succeeded the USFSA as France's representative. Two years later after the CFI's transformation, the USFSA officially merged with the federation.
The French Football Federation describes itself in four roles:
. The Coupe de France is managed under the authority of the Federal Commission of the Coupe de France, which is directly attached to the Federal Council
of the FFF. The federation also organizes the championships of the semi-professional
and amateur
leagues, such as the Championnat National
, the Championnat de France amateur and Championnat de France amateur 2, and the regional and departmental leagues, as well as the latter's cup competitions.
The federation also governs youth leagues, such as the Championnat National
of the under-19s and under-17s. The FFF also oversee the organization of the Coupe Gambardella
and the Coupe Nationale for the under-15 and under-13 club teams. The federation organizes all three divisions of women's football in France and oversee the Challenge de France
, the women's premier cup competition.
, which was created by former FFF president Fernand Sastre
in 1976. Located 50 km southwest of Paris in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
, Clairefontaine is arguably the finest football academy in the world. It has a high reputation of producing some of the most gifted French players including Nicolas Anelka
, Louis Saha
, William Gallas
and national team top scorer Thierry Henry
.
, and be living and playing within the region
of the academy the player is registering for. Registration for new players at an academy normally begins in October the year before players enroll at the academy when perspective applicants are 12 years of age. Players have until December to register with their club for acceptance into the academy. The first set of trials
are carried out by each district within its respective region. Each district selects a set number of players who will traveled to the region's academy to attend a tryout, which is usually held over a three-day period. The dates of the tryouts vary depending on the academy. The Clairefontaine academy normally hold its tryouts during the Easter
school holidays, however the academy in Châteauroux
holds its tryouts in June. After the three days, the academy director and officials will convene to select a maximum of 22 players with three or four of the 22 being goalkeepers. The number of players selected also vary depending on the academy.
. After departing Rambouilet, players enroll at the nearby high school
Lycée Louis Bascan de Rambouillet with hopes that they will earn their Baccalauréat
. All costs required to attend an academy are borne by the federation and the Ligue Nationale de Football.
Overseas departments and territories of France
The French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
(Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, French Guyana, Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, Mayotte
Mayotte
Mayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
, and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
). It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
Paris. The FFF was a founding member of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football in France, both professional and amateur. The French Football Federation is a founder member of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
and joined FIFA in 1907 after replacing the USFSA
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques is a former French sports governing body. During the 1890s and early 1900s it organised numerous sports including athletics, cycling, field hockey, fencing, croquet and swimming...
, who were founding members. On 28 June 2010, the federation's current president, Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes
Jean-Pierre Escalettes is the former president of the French Football Federation having served in the role from 12 February 2005 to 2 July 2010. He was awarded the presidency after winning the ball with 92.56% of the vote...
, announced his resignation from his position effective 23 July. On 23 July, Fernand Duchaussoy was installed as the federation's interim president and, on 18 December, the title was removed making him the federation's 11th president in its history. On 18 June 2011, following as election, Nöel Le Graët was named as the federation's 12th president.
The FFF sanctions all competitive football matches in France, either directly, beginning with the Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
on down, or indirectly through the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
, who manage Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
and Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
, the first and second divisions of France, respectively, as well as the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
. The LFP, however, still operate under the authority of the federation. The federation is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, women's
France women's national football team
The French women's national football team represents France in international women's football. The team is directed by the French Football Federation and competes as a member of UEFA in various international football tournaments such as the FIFA Women's World Cup, UEFA Women's Euro, the Summer...
and youth
France national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
national football teams. In 2010, the FFF had 2,107,924 licenses, with over 1,800,000 registered players and 18,000 registered clubs. The federation unveiled its new crest (above right) in 2007.
History
The Fédération Française de Football was formed on 7 April 1919 following the transformation of the Comité Français Interfédéral (CFI) into the Fédération Française de Football Association (FFFA). The CFI were seen as a rival organization to the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports AthlétiquesUnion des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques
Union des Sociétés Françaises de Sports Athlétiques is a former French sports governing body. During the 1890s and early 1900s it organised numerous sports including athletics, cycling, field hockey, fencing, croquet and swimming...
(USFSA) due to the organization's constantly disagreeing with each other, mainly due to the latter's opposition of professionalism in sport. Following the debacle at the 1908 Summer Olympics, in which France sent two teams, one controlled by the USFSA and another by FIFA, the CFI ruled that FIFA would now be responsible for the club's appearances in forthcoming Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and not the USFSA. Being a founding member of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC), the USFSA disagreed with the ruling and, despite having three years to reach an agreement, the CFI and the USFSA failed to, which led to France not sending a football team to the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
. The USFSA later developed friction with FIFA and the IOC, which led to disorganization and in 1913, became semi-affiliated with the CFI.
On 7 April 1919, the CFI transformed themselves into the Fédération Française de Football with Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet was a French football administrator who was the 3rd President of FIFA, serving from 1921 to 1954. He was FIFA's longest serving president, having served for 33 years. He also served as the president of the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1946...
being installed as the federation's first president. Its legal status is placed under the French Association loi de 1901 jurisdiction (Voluntary association
Voluntary association
A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...
). The FFF has been affiliated to FIFA since 1907, when the CFI succeeded the USFSA as France's representative. Two years later after the CFI's transformation, the USFSA officially merged with the federation.
The French Football Federation describes itself in four roles:
- To organize, develop, and monitor the teachings and practices of football in all its forms on the mainland and in the overseas departments and territoriesOverseas departments and territories of FranceThe French Overseas Departments and Territories consist broadly of French-administered territories outside of the European continent. These territories have varying legal status and different levels of autonomy, although all have representation in the Parliament of France , and consequently the...
(GuadeloupeGuadeloupeGuadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, French Guyana, MartiniqueMartiniqueMartinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, MayotteMayotteMayotte is an overseas department and region of France consisting of a main island, Grande-Terre , a smaller island, Petite-Terre , and several islets around these two. The archipelago is located in the northern Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean, namely between northwestern Madagascar and...
, New CaledoniaNew CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, French PolynesiaFrench PolynesiaFrench Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
, and RéunionRéunionRéunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
).
- To create and maintain a link between its individual members, affiliated clubs, and their respective districts and regional leagues of the Ligue du Football Amateur (LFA) and the Ligue de Football ProfessionnelLigue de Football ProfessionnelThe Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
(LFP).
- To defend the moral and material interests of French football.
- To maintain all appropriate relations with foreign associations affiliated with FIFA, as well as their sporting organizations and national governments.
Competitions
The French Football Federation runs numerous competitions, the most famous of which is the annual Coupe de FranceCoupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. The Coupe de France is managed under the authority of the Federal Commission of the Coupe de France, which is directly attached to the Federal Council
Federal Council
-Governmental bodies:* Federal Council of Australasia, a forerunner to the current Commonwealth of Australia* Federal Council of Austria, the upper house of the Austrian federal parliament...
of the FFF. The federation also organizes the championships of the semi-professional
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
and amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
leagues, such as the Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
, the Championnat de France amateur and Championnat de France amateur 2, and the regional and departmental leagues, as well as the latter's cup competitions.
The federation also governs youth leagues, such as the Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
of the under-19s and under-17s. The FFF also oversee the organization of the Coupe Gambardella
Coupe Gambardella
The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation ....
and the Coupe Nationale for the under-15 and under-13 club teams. The federation organizes all three divisions of women's football in France and oversee the Challenge de France
Challenge de France
The Coupe de France Féminine is a cup competition, exclusively for French women football clubs. The competition is open to all professional and non-professional women's teams in France. The inaugural edition of the competition was held in 2001. The final match of the competition is normally held...
, the women's premier cup competition.
Federal Council
There are 21 members of the Federal Council of the French Football Federation.| Member | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fernand Duchaussoy | President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... |
Named as interim president on 23 July 2010. Title was removed on 18 December. |
| Noël Le Graët Noël Le Graët Noël Le Graët is a French businessman, politician and football official. Since 18. June 2011 he is elected President of the French Football Federation .- FFF career :... |
Vice-President | Serves as chairman of Championnat National Championnat National The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2... club Guingamp |
| Gervais Martel Gervais Martel Gervais Martel is a French businessman and president of French football club RC Lens having served in this role since 24 August 1988. Under the leadership of Martel, Lens won their first ever Ligue 1 title in the 1997–98 season and won their first ever Coupe de la Ligue title the following year... |
Vice-President | Serves as chairman of Ligue 1 Ligue 1 Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2.... club RC Lens RC Lens Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du... . |
| Jacques Rousselot Jacques Rousselot Jacques Rousselot is a French businessman and the president of French football club AS Nancy having served in this role since 1994. He was the chief executive officer of E. Leclerc Voyages an online travel agency, before leaving the position to devote his time more to football... |
Vice-President | Serves as chairman of Ligue 1 Ligue 1 Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2.... club AS Nancy AS Nancy Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of... . |
| Christian Teinturier | Vice-President | |
| Jacques Léger | Vice-President | Also serves as President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... of the Ligue de Bourgogne Bourgogne Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern... . |
| Marc Riolacci | Vice-President | Also serves as President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... of the Ligue du Corse Corse Corse may refer to:*Corse, the French name for Corsica, the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea*Corse , a European surname of multiple origins *Corse, a Shakespearean word for Corpse... . |
| Frédéric Thiriez | Vice-President | Also serves as President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... of the Ligue de Football Professionnel Ligue de Football Professionnel The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation... . |
| Bernard Désumer | Treasurer Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:... |
|
| Henri Monteil | General secretary General secretary -International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:... |
|
| Guy Chambily | Chairman of Supervisory committee | |
| Bernard Saules | Referee represetative | Serves as President President A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership... of the National Union of Referees |
| René Charrier | UNFP representative | |
| Marilou Duringer-Erckert | Professional women's players representative | |
| Pierre Rochcongar | Doctor | |
| François Ponthieu | Member | |
| Jean-Marc Puissesseau | Member | |
| Jacques Thébault | Member | |
| Jean-Marie Lawniczak | Member |
Academies
The French Football Federation operates 12 élite academies throughout the country of France, the most famous being Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, or simply ClairefontaineClairefontaine
Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players...
, which was created by former FFF president Fernand Sastre
Fernand Sastre
Fernand Sastre was a French football official who was President of the French Football Federation from 1972 to 1984.The Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre, better known as Clairefontaine, is named after him....
in 1976. Located 50 km southwest of Paris in Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*...
, Clairefontaine is arguably the finest football academy in the world. It has a high reputation of producing some of the most gifted French players including Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
, Louis Saha
Louis Saha
Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...
, William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
and national team top scorer Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
.
Registration
In order for a player to be selected to an academy, he/she must be at least 13 years of age, have French citizenshipCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
, and be living and playing within the region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
of the academy the player is registering for. Registration for new players at an academy normally begins in October the year before players enroll at the academy when perspective applicants are 12 years of age. Players have until December to register with their club for acceptance into the academy. The first set of trials
Trial (sport)
Trial may refer to the following types of competitions.*Time trials*Car or motor trial, motoring competitions of skill and/or reliability*Motorcycle trials, an obstacle motorcycle competition...
are carried out by each district within its respective region. Each district selects a set number of players who will traveled to the region's academy to attend a tryout, which is usually held over a three-day period. The dates of the tryouts vary depending on the academy. The Clairefontaine academy normally hold its tryouts during the Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
school holidays, however the academy in Châteauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
holds its tryouts in June. After the three days, the academy director and officials will convene to select a maximum of 22 players with three or four of the 22 being goalkeepers. The number of players selected also vary depending on the academy.
Training and accommodation
Players who are selected to attend an academy stay and train at the facilities from Monday through Friday. Players are given the weekend off to go and visit family and, also, to train and play with their parent clubs. They are given school holidays off, as well. Players are also required to meet educational criteria. For example, players age 13–15 training at Clairefontaine attend the Collège Catherine de Vivonne de Rambouilet in RambouilletRambouillet
Rambouillet is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.It is located in the suburbs of Paris southwest from the center...
. After departing Rambouilet, players enroll at the nearby high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
Lycée Louis Bascan de Rambouillet with hopes that they will earn their Baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
. All costs required to attend an academy are borne by the federation and the Ligue Nationale de Football.
| Academy | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CREPS de Aquitaine | Talence Talence Talence is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the south side... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Aquitaine Aquitaine Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes... . |
| Centre de Préformation de Football | Liévin Liévin Liévin is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Overview:The city of Liévin is an old mining city of Pas-de-Calais. Near Lens, this modest-sized city nevertheless has several nursery schools, schools, colleges, a university, a swimming pool, a city library, a cultural and... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. |
| Pôle Espoir de Castelmaurou | Castelmaurou Castelmaurou Castelmaurou is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in the Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées Midi-Pyrénées is the largest region of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyrénées has no historical or geographical unity... . |
| Clairefontaine Clairefontaine Le Centre Technique National Fernand Sastre , commonly referred to as INF Clairefontaine , INF, or simply Clairefontaine, is the national association football centre that specializes in training French football players... |
Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-References:*... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Île-de-France Île-de-France (région) Île-de-France is the wealthiest and most populated of the twenty-two administrative regions of France, composed mostly of the Paris metropolitan area.... . |
| IFR Châteauroux | Châteauroux Châteauroux Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins.... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Centre. |
| Pôle Espoir de Dijon | Dijon Dijon Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area.... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Bourgogne Bourgogne Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern... . |
| Pôle Espoir de Marseille | Marseille Marseille Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in and around Méditerranée Méditerranée Méditerranée was the name of a département of the First French Empire in present-day Italy. It was named after the Mediterranean Sea. It was formed in 1808, when Tuscany was annexed by France. Its capital was Livorno... . |
| PEF Ploufragan PEF Ploufragan Le Centre Technique National Henri Guérin , commonly referred to as PEF Ploufragan, is the regional association football centre and is one of the nine élite academies of France; only the best players from the Brittany région train there... |
Ploufragan Ploufragan Ploufragan is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.Ploufragan is a neighboring commune of Saint-Brieuc.-Population:Inhabitants of Ploufragan are called ploufraganais.-External links:*... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Brittany Brittany Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain... . |
| CREPS de Reims | Reims Reims Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire.... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne Champagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the... . |
| CREPS La Réunion | Réunion Réunion Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Réunion Réunion Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France... and nearby territories. |
| PEF Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire PEF Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire Pôle Espoirs Fédéral de Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, commonly referred to as PEF Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, is the regional association football centre and is one of the nine élite academies of France. Located in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, only the best players from the Pays de la... |
Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Nantes, and is adjacent to it on the southeast, across the Loire River.-Twin towns:... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire Pays de la Loire is one of the 27 regions of France. It is one of the regions created in the late 20th century to serve as a zone of influence for its capital, Nantes, one of a handful so-called "balancing metropolises" ¹... . |
| Pôle Espoir de Vichy | Vichy Vichy Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants... |
Trains players exclusively brought up in Auvergne Auvergne (région) Auvergne is one of the 27 administrative regions of France. It comprises the 4 departments of Allier, Puy de Dome, Cantal and Haute Loire.The current administrative region of Auvergne is larger than the historical province of Auvergne, and includes provinces and areas that historically were not... . |